Savate, also known as French Boxing or French Foot Fighting, is a French hybrid martial art and full-contact combat sport that combines principles of western boxing with a wide variety of kicking techniques. Unlike kickboxing styles such as Muay Thai, which allow knee and/or shin strikes in competitive bouts, savate involves striking exclusively with one's feet, but participants can nonetheless target any part of the body. The sport is also notable for requiring footwear to be worn by the competitors, as would be expected from individuals fighting in the streets. A male practitioner of savate is called a "tireur" while a female one is a "tireuse".
The tonfa is a melee weapon with its origins in the armed component of Okinawan martial arts where it is known as the tunkua. It consists of a stick with a perpendicular handle attached a third of the way down the length of the stick, and is about 15–20 inches (380–510 mm) long. It was traditionally made from red or white oak, and wielded in pairs. The tonfa is believed to have originated in either China, Okinawa or Southeast Asia, where it is used in the respective fighting styles.
The Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety is an agency of the French government, responsible for investigating aviation accidents and incidents and making safety recommendations based on what is learned from those investigations.
The GIGN is the elite police tactical unit of the French National Gendarmerie. Among its missions are counterterrorism, hostage rescue, surveillance of national threats, protection of government officials, critical site protection, and targeting organized crime.
The National Police, formerly known as the Sûreté nationale, is one of two national police forces of France, the other being the National Gendarmerie. The National Police is the country's main civil law enforcement agency, with primary jurisdiction in cities and large towns. By contrast, the National Gendarmerie has primary jurisdiction in smaller towns, as well as in rural and border areas. The National Police comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of the Interior and has about 145,200 employees. Young French citizens can fulfill their mandatory service in the police force.
Recherche, Assistance, Intervention, Dissuasion, commonly abbreviated RAID, is an elite tactical unit of the French National Police. Founded in 1985, it is headquartered in Bièvres, Essonne, approximately 20 kilometres southwest of Paris. RAID is the National Police counterpart of the National Gendarmerie's GIGN. Both units share responsibility for the French territory.
Michel Casseux, also known as "Pisseux" (1794–1869) was a Savate instructor. He is widely considered one of the pioneers of the sport, and is even credited as its inventor.
Prostitution in France was legal until April 2016, but several surrounding activities were illegal, like operating a brothel, living off the avails (pimping), and paying for sex with someone under the age of 18.
National Police Intervention Groups were tactical units of the French National Police based in large cities in metropolitan France and in French overseas territories.
Joseph Charlemont was a French savate and Canne de combat teacher. His son Charles Charlemont was also a noted savateur.
Raymond H. A. Carter was a Gendarmerie Nationale senior officer who served for thirty-five years. He is an expert consultant in the field of international security. Carter is also an accomplished exponent of the martial arts.
The history of prostitution in France has similarities with the history of prostitution in other countries in Europe, namely a succession of periods of tolerance and repression, but with certain distinct features such as a relatively long period of tolerance of brothels.
Orlando Wiet is a Surinamese-Dutch former world champion kickboxer, boxer and mixed martial artist.
Jacques Robert was a French author, screenwriter and journalist.
Djany Fiorenti is a French kickboxer. He is the former Arena Fight Flyweight champion.
Jean Jordy Vadamootoo, known as Jordy Vadamootoo, is a Mauritian amateur boxer who won a bantamweight gold medal at the 2017 African Championships and competed at the 2017 World Championships.
Salem Assli was a French-American martial artist, instructor, and researcher best known as the first B.F. Savate instructor in the US. He also continued the development of martial arts on five continents and was Head of the French association of Jeet Kune Do and Filipino Kali.
Anaëlle Angerville is a French muay thai kickboxer. A professional competitor since 2014, she is the 2022 WMC World −57 kg champion.
Heimata Neuffer was a French Polynesian heavyweight boxer who represented French Polynesia at the Pacific Games.
Alexis Nicolas is a French kickboxer who is currently signed with ONE Championship. A professional competitor since 2021, he is the current ISKA World Super Middleweight K-1 champion and the former ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion.
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